Dish Asks FCC to Stop Clock on Sprint/SoftBank Clearwire Deal

Dish has asked the FCC to stop the clock on its review ofJapanese company SoftBank's proposed purchase of Sprint and Sprint's proposedpurchase of a controlling interest in Clearwire, given that Dish has made ahigher offer for Clearwire that makes the deal "unripe for consideration,"says the satellite operator.

Sprint already owns just under 50% of Clearwire, with otherinvestors including Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable and Bright HouseNetworks.

Dishlaunched a surprise bid for Clearwire earlier this month.

"Indeed, with competing offers for Clearwire in place,premature Commission evaluation of Sprint's initial offer could undermine theCommission's policy objective of neutrality in takeover contests by giving SoftBankand Sprint (together, the 'Applicants') a very real advantage in the corporatevaluation process," Dish said in a request to hold the deal in abeyance.

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